diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/assemble.py b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/assemble.py
index cc4c4bd156..eb6faf5dfc 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/assemble.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/assemble.py
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ class ActionModule(object):
             return self.runner._execute_module(conn, tmp, 'assemble', module_args, inject=inject, complex_args=complex_args)
         elif '_original_file' in inject:
             src = utils.path_dwim_relative(inject['_original_file'], 'files', src, self.runner.basedir)
+        else:
+            # the source is local, so expand it here
+            src = os.path.expanduser(src)
 
         # Does all work assembling the file
         path = self._assemble_from_fragments(src, delimiter)